READY-TO-WEAR SPRING/SUMMER 2017

Alexander McQueen

Intricate craftsmanship and a swell of emotion from Creative Director Sarah Burton

The carpet alone, its intensely woven surface undulating across the set, told the story at the Alexander McQueen show. It was the tale of the Shetland Isles and the soaring imagination of Sarah Burton after her visit to the wilder side of Scotland.

“When we went to the Shetlands in June, I found this story about a rug that was made when people got married - half by the bride’s family and half by the groom’s,” Sarah explained. “It was a sign of unity, and when the whole studio was working together it came from that concept.”

The show was intense and all-embracing even before the models came out wearing a romantic, almost painterly vision of the Scottish islands - what the designer called “knitting as fine as Shetland lace, fishing-net dresses, birds on the waves, the shipwreck and the bells”.

The late Lee McQueen’s connection to his Scottish roots was visceral and raging, after he unearthed a distant family history of bloodshed and ruin. Sarah Burton comes from another point of view, seeing in the wind-blown solitude of the isolated isles a way of bringing beauty and calm to the brand’s heritage. That meant an opening line of long slim dresses in gossamer-fine Shetland lace, as presented in a shawl to the Scotland-loving Queen Victoria. The designer gave it a frisson of toughness with thick leather belts decorated with dark silver charms that also made hefty necklaces.

There was a nod to McQueen’s tailoring experience in three-piece suits in London’s Savile Row, especially a long, lean shape belted at the hips and worn over trousers. Even a mini kilt with a hint of Punk was seen on the runway carpet.

But the show’s bulky leather boots did not stir far from the Highlands, with intensely patterned Fair Isle knits introducing strong shades after the pallid colouring at the start.

The flourish of colour came with flowers – blooms embroidered both on a black leather jacket or on the lightest chiffon. The tiny white flowers looked like a froth of wild water while other floating chiffon dresses had shadowy pictures of mythic sea creatures.

The show was a beautiful spectacle. But to understand the intricacy, I realised that I needed to be backstage, where Sarah’s team showed me how intense handwork had fashioned tulle to look like the crest of a wave or flowers as sea foam.

“See Now, Buy Now”? In your dreams.

Sarah Burton’s ability to feed the McQueen heritage is astounding, adding a sweetness and gentility that was never part of his tortured fashion soul. But, plaids and knits apart, this collection was more a statement than an offering; more couture than easy-to-wear.

But why should that matter? I did not hike to the buyer’s show room to see the simpler and easier to sell part of the McQueen creations. I was happy to define Sarah as a flag bearer of what all those who love fashion believe in: creativity unbound.

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